New Water Institute of Texas at UTSA

Water scarcity is a huge issue facing the world today.
And the University of Texas at San Antonio recognizes that. It has launched the Water Institute of Texas to promote water research. Nearly three dozen UTSA researchers currently are focusing on water issues.
The institute will help them collaborate and it will also provide access to data and other information to develop sustainability water strategies.
“Although water resources are immense, less than one percent of the world’s water is available for human consumption. Today, nearly 600,000 people around the world face a water shortage. In 2025, nearly three billion people will face a water shortage,” according to a news release from UTSA.
“Typically, we think of water shortages as problems that affect only third-world countries,” Mauli Agrawal, dean of the UTSA College of Engineering said in a news release. “However, water scarcity is a major issue for south Texas, where the land is arid and the population continues to grow. Locally, farmers, city residents, businesses, energy producers, the oil and gas industry and natural species all vie for water, leading to a unique spectrum of technological, social and political issues.”
The institute will focus on managing the current water supply, developing innovative water sources, enhancing water quality, community outreach and education and studying demographics and economics of water.
A.T. Papagiannakis, chair of the UTSA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will serve as the Institute’s interim director while UTSA conducts a national search for a permanent director.